Women are trying to bring their relatives back from the war
Tivali women also collect money to buy food and other necessary items for their soldiers. Vasili says he has also heard of local residents raising money to send radio transmitters and drones to soldiers in Ukraine.
In Russia’s impoverished regions of Buryatia and Tiva (Tuva), women increase pressure on officials and the army to allow their soldiers to return home.
“My brother was sent to training. He was not called to go to war in another country. In fact, this is cheating. They were told that they will cross the border only when the occupation began.” – A woman from Buryatia, located in the south of Siberia, told the “Siberia.Realities” portal of RFE/RL.
“They were afraid”
This woman, who did not want to be named for fear of persecution for her anti-war activism, is demanding the return of her loved ones from mothers, sisters, soldier one of his lovers.
“(Russia before the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February) he called me from Belarus. He was complaining about them wringing his hands, I could tell he was afraid to give up. It seems that they threatened him not only with the tribunal, but also with physical injury.” – the woman continues.
These women are in closed groups on the Vyber direct messaging app information shares, they are looking for legal ways for their relatives serving in Ukraine to legally refuse to fight.
One from Tiva in southern Siberia soldier his mother To the family (name changed) also says that his son is facing a similar situation. In January, his division was taken to Belarus for training, and on February 24, he was sent to Ukraine, where they were ordered to capture Kiev for two days.
14 soldier
He was able to speak with his mother again in mid-March, when the unit was pulled out of Ukraine to regroup. The son told his mother that their unit had been cheated, and that most of the soldiers were looking for a way to avoid being returned. While the family was consulting with lawyers, they sent their son back to Ukraine.
The family from their son for weeks news could not catch. The one he found in June attorney made it clear to him that a soldier serving on contract can officially refuse to fight.
“When my son submitted an application that he did not want to fight anymore, they started to scare him. They told him that he will be brought to the tribunal and sent to prison for eight years. He called me and asked what to do? I talked to the lawyers, I told him that this is just a threat.” – mother speaks.
Later, his son and 13 other soldiers took this step, they were shamed in front of the unit and called “traitors”. But they all endure humiliation, threats and military discharged from service. They return to Tiva.
150 soldiers returned home
“Free According to the information released by the human rights group “Buryatia” on July 11, up to 150 soldiers from the province refused to be sent back to Ukraine and returned home on July 9. Closed before the soldiers were released military it is said that they are being held at the base and threatened with criminal prosecution. “Free Head of Buryatia Alexandra Garmajapova Facebook in his post, he congratulated the soldiers and noted that they “saved their lives and the lives of others”.
At the end of June, the wives and mothers of dozens of Buryat soldiers, the provincial governor Alexey Tsidenova video in his appeals, he urged him to return his loved ones from Ukraine.
“They have been participating in a special operation since February 24. They are mentally and physically exhausted.” – the women said in the video.
They also collect money for the soldiers…
The activist who introduced himself as Vasili from Tiva says that less than the province 20 he knows that the soldier refused to fight, but they were not allowed to return home. He and his wife are soldiers military they actively participate in Vyber and Instagram groups that help them get rid of contracts.
“Recently, women have been discussing in these groups how their men can refuse to participate in a special operation. Apparently, they are one of the huge losses in the war news they are holding… Previously, they only talked about when the phone call would be to someone”, Vasili told the radio.
Tivali women also collect money to buy food and other necessary items for their soldiers. Vasili says he has also heard of local residents raising money to send radio transmitters and drones to soldiers in Ukraine.
From the first days of the occupation, more losses were reported from the Russian regions of Tiva and Buryatia, as well as North Ossetia and Dagestan in the North Caucasus. Although the number of official losses was not disclosed, RFE/RL calculated that there were 159 military losses from Buryatia. From Tiva 10More than 0 losses officially confirmed
In these regions, young people get out of poverty by military contract way as they look. Average monthly income in Tivat 10 thousand – 15 thousand rubles ($170-260).